Jewish tradition holds that Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the seventh month on the Jewish calendar, celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the world, a day when God takes stock of all of His Creation. Translated, Rosh HaShanah means "head of the year." Jews believe that God's judgment on this day determines the course of the coming year. That day also begins the “ten days of awe” (time of repentance) which ends on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

I first heard about the 14,000-day (38.8-year) generation back in the mid-1990s from a fellow named John Zachary, but I had forgotten about it. Zachary’s site is linked above.

Here is that fascinating pattern put forth by several (including Charlie Garrett, John Zachary, Tom Stewart and Stuart Cobbs):

1. There were exactly 14,000 days that the Israelites wandered in the desert after receiving the Law and before they entered the Promised Land. This was due to their rebellion. (This and the below are explained in detail in the link above, which I will not repeat here.)

2. There were exactly 14,000 days from the day Jesus entered Jerusalem until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. This was the rebellious generation that rejected their Messiah.

3. There will be exactly 14,000 days from the capture of Jerusalem in 1967 to Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets), October 4, 2005. This is the generation that rebelliously turned the Temple Mount over to the Muslims after God gave it back to them in the Six-Day War. Look at the problems this has caused. I find this connection with the 2005 Feast of Trumpets both intriguing and compelling.

Thus, if the dating is correct, the three most important generations in all history are 14,000 days in length, which is 2,000 Jewish weeks (14,000 divided by 7 = 2,000).

Garrett says, “Recently I've actually heard Jewish rabbis discussing this same time-frame.… that they are under 38 years of punishment for handing the Temple Mount back to the Muslims after capturing it in 1967.”

He adds: “Because this is being discussed in rabbinic circles, and because there is a Biblical parallel which I was led to through research and prayer, I'm starting to think that whatever is going to happen on 4 Oct 2005 may be a solely ‘Jewish’ event and have nothing to do with the Church. However, if this is the beginning of Daniel's prophecy concerning the final 7 years of the ‘70 weeks,' that would mean the ‘times of the Gentiles’ is over and all attention will again be on Israel. It wouldn't make sense to have the Church remain with Israel taking the world spotlight - but we will have to wait and see.”

This is also interesting: On the Jewish calendar, October 4, 2005 actually begins on the evening of October 3. I have read that there will be a solar eclipse on October 3, 2005.

I also read that the Muslim Ramadan begins on October 4, 2005, the same day as Rosh HaShanah. Ramadan is probably the most widespread anti-Christ observance on earth of any kind.

Neither Garret nor I are saying that the rapture will be on October 4, 2005. But wouldn’t it be nice? If not, what? Anything? It will be interesting to watch.

One little thought. The Feast of Trumpets is a two-day feast. That is because the feast happens on the new moon, which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. Thus, this feast is referred to by the idiom, "Of that day or hour no man knows." Sound familiar? If the rapture ever happens on the Feast of Trumpets, it will be true that no one really knew the day or hour!

The Feast of Trumpets begins with a series of over 90 trumpet blasts. The last, climactic blast is the Teki'at Shofar, a long blast, signalling victory or good news. This last blast is referred to as “the last trump,” many believe to be the trumpet referred to by Paul in describing the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Again, check out http://wonderful1.com/wst_page3.html. You’ll be blessed.


PART 2. THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN AN INVALID FOR 38 YEARS

As a reminder, in my message of January 28, 2005 I said that Rev. Ron Patterson had shared with me that the Lord had been speaking to him about the passage in John 5 where Jesus healed the invalid man at the pool of Bethesda. See verses 2-11. The man had been an invalid for 38 years!

Ron had no idea of the all the above about the 14,000-day (38.8-year) generations and did not even connect the 38 years with 1967, until it dawned on me and I told him, which made him ecstatic! His revelation was totally independent.

Ron said that the man had been lying there all those years and the religious people did not help him. The water in the pool is symbolic of the Word. There were plenty of promises in the Jewish Bible at that time for him to get healed. Nobody helped him get into the Word. Through Jesus, God decided that He would have to help the man Himself, by His grace. The Word made flesh came to the man in Person! There were five colonnades, and five is the number of grace.

Ron said this is the condition of the world today. The world is in such bad shape, and the lukewarm Laodecean church is not doing enough to help. So in His mercy the Lord is going to personally come again to bring healing and deliverance to those who will receive it. He said the Tribulation is a time of mercy. God does not need the Tribulation for punishment because He already has hell to do that. It will be a severe wake-up time and opportunity after the rapture for people to call upon the Lord and be saved for eternity.

Keep looking up! Jesus is coming!

Jim